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A Rust restart plugin can schedule a graceful shutdown and warn players, but it cannot start RustDedicated after the process exits. Reliable automation therefore needs two layers: a uMod/Oxide plugin for the schedule, countdown and player messages, plus an external launcher, service manager, container policy or hosting panel that starts the process again. Configure both layers, then test the complete stop-and-start cycle in a maintenance window.
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Understand the two-part restart system
Rust server restarts are often described as if one plugin performs the whole job. In practice, the plugin and the operating-system process supervisor have different responsibilities.
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|---|---|---|
| uMod/Oxide restart plugin | Checks the clock, starts a countdown, sends chat or UI warnings, saves data through a controlled shutdown and issues the server shutdown. | It cannot relaunch a process after that process has terminated. Oxide’s core has no built-in automatic restart function. |
| External supervisor | Runs RustDedicated, detects that it has exited and launches it again with the same identity, map, ports and configuration. |
It does not know how to warn players unless the plugin does so before exit. |
The sequence should be: the plugin reaches a configured time, announces the countdown, performs the normal Rust/Oxide shutdown, the process exits, and the supervisor starts the server again. If the last step is missing, players see a correct warning followed by a server that stays offline.
This separation also explains why a restart command can appear to “work” while no new server process appears. The command only proves that the plugin requested a shutdown; it does not prove that anything is watching for the exit.
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What you need before configuring a restart
- A running dedicated Rust server with uMod/Oxide installed and loading normally.
- One restart plugin, not two plugins competing for the same schedule.
- Administrative access to the server console, F1 console or RCON, plus permission to change plugin configuration.
- An external launch method: a batch/launcher script, a system service, a container restart policy or a managed-hosting control panel.
- A maintenance window in which you can disconnect test players, observe the shutdown and verify the return.
- A backup of the current server configuration, identity files and plugin JSON files.
Keep the Rust server, Oxide/uMod build and plugins compatible. A plugin that was compiled for a different game or Oxide build may fail to load, leaving the schedule inactive. Configuration is commonly stored as JSON under the Oxide configuration directory; edit the file while the server is stopped or use the plugin’s supported reload method so that a running process does not overwrite your changes.
Choose a countdown plugin
Both documented options provide warnings and a scheduled shutdown. Their control surfaces differ, so pick one based on how much warning customization you need.
| Capability | Smooth Restarter | Server Restarter |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule format | Daily entries in hh:mm format. |
Several entries in the RestartTimes setting. |
| Warning controls | Configurable countdown start and custom countdown milestones. | Configurable warning delay. |
| Player notification | Chat notices and optional in-game UI. | Localized player message; the documented default is Server restart in {0} seconds, get in a safe location. |
| Oxide update trigger | Documented option to restart when Oxide is outdated. | No equivalent option is documented on the cited page. |
| Process relaunch | Still requires an external launcher or service. | Still requires an external launcher or service. |
When Smooth Restarter is the better fit
Use Smooth Restarter when you want several visible milestones rather than one warning. You can set when the countdown begins, choose custom points at which chat messages appear, and enable an optional UI. Its documented Oxide-update option can also trigger a planned restart when the installed Oxide version is outdated. That option does not remove the need for a process supervisor.
When Server Restarter is the better fit
Use Server Restarter when a list of restart times, a single warning delay and a localized message are sufficient. Its message includes a replacement value for the remaining seconds, allowing a notice such as “Server restart in 60 seconds, get in a safe location.” Edit the localization text rather than hard-coding a language in a plugin source file.
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Install and configure the plugin
- Install or verify uMod/Oxide. Start the server and watch the console for a successful Oxide load. If Oxide itself does not load, no restart plugin can operate.
- Install one plugin. Place the chosen plugin in the server’s Oxide plugins directory, restart or reload it using your normal Oxide administration method, and confirm that the console reports a successful load.
- Open the generated JSON configuration. Stop the server before editing if possible. Preserve valid JSON syntax, including quotation marks, commas and brackets.
- Set the schedule. For Smooth Restarter, enter each daily time as
hh:mmand set the countdown start. For Server Restarter, populateRestartTimesand setRestartWarningto the number of seconds before shutdown. - Set the warning presentation. Enable chat, UI or both where supported. Choose milestones that give players enough time to leave monuments, return to a safe base and stop transfers or building operations.
- Save, reload and inspect the console. A malformed JSON file or a rejected value normally appears as a plugin load or configuration error. Correct the file, then reload only after the error is gone.
- Check permissions. If the plugin protects commands or configuration behind an Oxide permission, grant that permission to the server’s administrative group rather than to ordinary players.
Use the server’s local clock unless your hosting panel explicitly documents another timezone. A schedule such as 04:00 is not universally “04:00 UTC”; it follows the time source used by the plugin and host. Confirm the offset by scheduling a test well before a busy period.
Configure the relaunch layer
The supervisor must launch the same server identity and arguments every time. Preserve the server name, world or level settings, seed, save directory, ports, query port, RCON settings and any environment variables used by the original launch.
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Facepunch’s server guidance documents a launcher pattern in which the Rust process is started and a goto start line runs again after the process exits. Adapt the executable path and arguments to your installation:
:start
RustDedicated.exe [your existing server arguments]
goto startKeep this script as the process that the hosting panel or Windows service starts. Do not launch a second copy manually, or two instances may compete for the same ports and files. If you need a deliberate stop for maintenance, stop the supervisor or add a controlled break mechanism; otherwise the loop will immediately start Rust again.
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Service, container or hosting-panel supervision
On Linux, a system service can be configured with a restart-on-exit policy. In a container, use the platform’s restart policy. A managed-hosting panel can provide the same supervision through its start command and automatic-restart setting. The labels differ, but verify these properties:
- The supervisor starts the process with the complete, known-good command line.
- It restarts after a clean plugin-triggered exit, not only after a crash.
- It does not launch multiple copies concurrently.
- It preserves the same save path, identity and network ports.
- It records startup and shutdown logs that an administrator can review.
Configure a short delay between exits and relaunches when the platform supports one. This prevents a malformed command or immediate crash from creating a tight restart loop that consumes CPU and fills logs.
Design warnings players can act on
A warning is useful only if it gives players time to change behavior. Start with a long notice, then use shorter milestones. For example, a 60-second warning followed by 30, 15 and 5 seconds is a configuration choice, not a measured standard; adjust it for your server’s population and activities.
- Initial notice: State the exact remaining time and that the restart is scheduled, not a wipe.
- Middle milestone: Remind players to leave monuments, boats, elevators and other vulnerable locations.
- Final notice: Tell players to stop moving items or crafting actions that may be interrupted.
- Shutdown message: Explain that the server is saving and will return automatically.
Use chat for clients that may not render custom UI, and enable UI only after confirming that it does not obscure critical gameplay information. Keep the localization message short enough to read during combat or travel. If your community uses several languages, maintain translations in the plugin’s localization files rather than changing the countdown logic.
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Test the complete cycle before relying on it
- Choose a low-population maintenance period and announce the test to administrators.
- Set a temporary restart time or invoke the plugin’s supported test action from the F1 console, server console or RCON.
- Join with a test account and verify every warning milestone in chat and, if enabled, the UI.
- Watch the server console for the normal save and shutdown sequence. A forced process kill does not prove that the plugin is configured correctly.
- Confirm that
RustDedicatedactually exits. - Confirm that the external supervisor starts one new process with the expected command line and ports.
- Reconnect and verify the same server identity, map, save data, plugins and permissions.
- Check logs for a plugin exception, failed bind, missing DLL or configuration parse error.
- Restore the production schedule and record the host timezone and supervisor settings for the next administrator.
No restart setup is complete until both halves have been observed. A countdown test without a relaunch test leaves the most important failure mode undiscovered.
Troubleshoot the common failure modes
The plugin shuts the server down but it never comes back
This is the expected symptom when only the plugin layer is installed. Oxide cannot relaunch a process that has already stopped, and Smooth Restarter explicitly requires an external solution. Start the server through a batch loop, service, container restart policy or hosting-panel supervisor, then repeat the maintenance-window test. Check that the supervisor treats a clean exit as a restart condition.
Players receive no countdown
- Confirm the plugin appears as loaded in the Oxide console.
- Check that the configured time is valid
hh:mm(for Smooth Restarter) or a valid entry inRestartTimes(for Server Restarter). - Verify the host’s clock and timezone.
- Confirm chat/UI notifications are enabled and the localization file contains a non-empty message.
- Look for JSON parsing or plugin exceptions after reload.
The schedule never fires, but the plugin loads
Compare the schedule with the host’s actual local time, including daylight-saving changes where applicable. Ensure the countdown start or warning delay is not set to an invalid or negative value. If the server was offline at the scheduled minute, do not assume the plugin will “catch up”; schedule a new test time and observe it live.
The plugin fails after an update
Rust and Oxide updates can change compatibility. Read the startup error, verify that the plugin version supports the current server and Oxide build, and restore the last known-good configuration if necessary. When replacing a DLL extension, stop the server first. The extension must match the installed Rust/Oxide versions; replacing a loaded DLL while the process is running can leave the server in an inconsistent state.
The server starts twice or enters a restart loop
Find every place that can launch Rust: a terminal window, a scheduled task, a service, a panel and a container policy. Leave one authoritative supervisor. Then inspect the launch command, working directory, permissions and ports. A loop that restarts immediately after every exit usually indicates a bad argument, missing dependency, permission failure or port conflict rather than a countdown problem.
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The supervisor is probably using a different working directory or command line than the original launch. Compare the save path, identity name, seed, level and port arguments character by character. Ensure the service account can read and write the same directories. Never “fix” this by copying a live save while Rust is still running; stop the process cleanly and use a verified backup.
Operate scheduled restarts safely
Publish a regular maintenance time so players can plan around it, and reserve unscheduled restarts for emergencies or compatibility updates. Keep a written record of the schedule, host timezone, supervisor entry point, RCON access, plugin versions and backup location.
When updating Oxide or a DLL extension, plan a full stop, replace files while stopped, start through the supervisor and watch the first boot. If Smooth Restarter is configured to restart when Oxide is outdated, make sure the external layer is already working; otherwise the automatic update-triggered shutdown can leave the server offline.
Protect RCON credentials and administrative permissions. Console and RCON access are appropriate for operators troubleshooting a load state or command error, not for giving regular players control over restart commands. Review logs after every scheduled restart and investigate repeated plugin exceptions instead of allowing the supervisor to hide them with endless relaunches.
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A practical decision checklist
- Need several visible countdown milestones or an Oxide-outdated trigger? Choose Smooth Restarter.
- Need several restart times and one localized warning delay? Choose Server Restarter.
- Need the server to return after shutdown? Add a launcher, service, container policy or hosting-panel restart rule; neither plugin supplies this layer.
- Changing a DLL or Oxide build? Stop the server, use a matching extension, then test the full cycle.
- Unsure why it failed? Check plugin load state, JSON configuration, host clock, console/RCON errors and the supervisor’s startup log in that order.
What a reliable setup looks like
At the scheduled time, the chosen plugin announces the countdown in the configured channels, reaches its final warning, and requests a graceful shutdown. The supervisor notices the process exit and starts the same Rust command again. The server returns with the same identity and save, while logs provide enough information to diagnose a missed warning or failed launch. That division of labor is the key to automatic Rust restarts: the plugin communicates with players; the supervisor manages the operating-system process.
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